Fire damages multi-unit dwelling in Dover

Sunday

Apr 21, 2013 at 3:15 AMApr 21, 2013 at 6:08 PM

DOVER — Improper disposal of smoking materials is being eyed as the cause of a fire that spread quickly across the front porch of a multi-unit dwelling at the corner of Park Street and Ham Street early Saturday evening.

By Jim Haddadinjhaddadin@fosters.com

DOVER — Improper disposal of smoking materials is being eyed as the cause of a fire that spread quickly across the front porch of a multi-unit dwelling at the corner of Park Street and Ham Street early Saturday evening.

Residents managed to escape without injury and a dog was rescued from the home after a neighbor who spotted the flames banged on the door and alerted them to the danger.

The fire started sometime after 5 p.m. at 17-19 Park St. Fanned by strong winds, the fire had already engulfed the porch by the time Dover firefighters arrived. Two of the four apartments in the building were damaged.

“It went up the exterior of the building and out across the porch roof and into the second floor units,” Dover Fire Chief Richard Driscoll said. “There's some damage to the first floor interior unit and the second floor interior units on the left-hand side of the building.”

The fire was brought under control within 30 minutes, and firefighters had initiated a salvage operation by 6:30 p.m. The fire caused an estimated $40,000 to $50,000 worth of damage, Driscoll said.

“You know, this is a 100-year-old building, and with the wind blowing here and the fire starting on the exterior, it burns very fast, so they were able to do a great job at keeping it to the limited damage we ended up with,” he said.

Erica Amazeen, who lives in the neighborhood, was just arriving home when the fire began. She remarked to her husband, Todd, about the smoke; then the pair spotted flames shooting from the front door.

“I'm like, 'Oh my god, it's fire,' and I picked up the phone and called 911, and he ran over here, and I ran behind him with the phone,” Amazeen remembered.

“I booked it over here and started slamming on the doors and the walls and tried to get everybody out,” Todd Amazeen said, “and then it just took off.”

One resident ran through the front door immediately; Todd Amazeen then held the door open for another woman who rushed out with three children. Another resident escaped through a window.

“They got out just in time,” Todd Amazeen said.

Justina Rousseau, who lives in the fire-damaged home, said she was away at the time. The 27-year-old received a text message from a friend alerting her to the emergency. Rousseau, who is seven months pregnant, said she began rushing up the street, concerned about the fate of her dog, Garnett. The gray hound was the only occupant of her apartment when the flames broke out. The dog was eventually rescued by an unknown person, she said.

“Everything turned out fine,” she said.

A neighbor at 7 Ham St. credited the fire department with a rapid response that prevented even more destruction on the property.

“It was quick,” said Dan Spinney, who previously rented a unit inside the home in the 1980s. “It was very quick. When I first walked out, there were flames on this side, and not even seconds (later), it was all up in flames ... If they weren't there in five minutes, that whole place would have went. That's how quick it was spreading.”

Dover firefighters were joined at the scene by personnel from Somersworth, Rollinsford and Portsmouth. Driscoll credited the fire crews with a great effort that helped to curtail the flames quickly.

“It's right around the corner from the fire station, but one of the best things is that we were manned at 12 today,” he said. “We sometimes drop down to 11, but the 12-person manning made a big difference in this one. They were able to get two lines into the place.”

After the flames were extinguished, a firefighter was seen carrying a box of baby food out toward the street. The fire department was also planning to contact the Red Cross to assist residents who were displaced. No injuries were reported.

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